Crispy Restaurant-Style Chicken Wings (Printable Copy)

Golden fried wings with buttermilk marinade, served with three signature sauces for the ultimate appetizer.

# What You Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 2.5 lbs chicken wings, separated at joint, wing tips removed

→ Marinade and Coating

02 - 1 cup buttermilk
03 - 1 teaspoon salt
04 - 0.5 teaspoon black pepper
05 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
06 - 1 teaspoon onion powder
07 - 0.5 teaspoon paprika
08 - 0.5 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
09 - 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
10 - 0.5 cup cornstarch
11 - 1 teaspoon baking powder

→ For Frying

12 - Sunflower or peanut oil for deep frying

→ Buffalo Sauce

13 - 0.33 cup hot sauce
14 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
15 - 1 teaspoon honey

→ Thai Sweet Chili Sauce

16 - 0.5 cup Thai sweet chili sauce
17 - 1 tablespoon lime juice
18 - 1 teaspoon fish sauce, optional

→ BBQ Sauce

19 - 0.5 cup BBQ sauce

→ Garnish

20 - Fresh chives or scallions, sliced, optional
21 - Celery sticks, optional
22 - Blue cheese or ranch dressing, optional

# How to Make:

01 - In a large bowl, combine chicken wings with buttermilk, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and cayenne pepper. Toss until evenly coated. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, preferably overnight for optimal flavor development.
02 - In a separate large bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, cornstarch, and baking powder until uniformly combined.
03 - Remove marinated wings from refrigerator and allow excess buttermilk to drip away. Dredge each wing thoroughly in the flour mixture, pressing gently to ensure coating adheres properly. Arrange coated wings on a wire rack and allow to rest for 10 minutes to set the coating.
04 - Fill a large heavy-bottomed pot or deep fryer with sunflower or peanut oil to a depth of 2 inches. Heat oil to 350°F, using a kitchen thermometer to monitor temperature accurately.
05 - Working in batches to avoid overcrowding, carefully place wings into hot oil. Fry for 8 to 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until exterior is golden brown and crispy. Remove wings using a slotted spoon and drain on a wire rack lined with paper towels.
06 - For Buffalo sauce: whisk together hot sauce, melted butter, and honey. For Thai sweet chili: combine sweet chili sauce, lime juice, and fish sauce. For BBQ: use sauce directly from container as prepared.
07 - Divide fried wings into three equal portions. Toss each portion with corresponding sauce or serve sauces separately for dipping. Garnish with sliced chives or scallions. Serve alongside celery sticks and blue cheese or ranch dressing if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The buttermilk marinade keeps the meat juicy even after frying, so you never bite into dry chicken.
  • Three sauce options mean everyone at the table gets their favorite without compromise.
  • The cornstarch and baking powder trick creates a shatteringly crisp coating that stays crunchy for hours.
  • These taste like they came from a sports bar, but you control the heat, the seasoning, and the sauce.
02 -
  • Don't skip the resting time after coating, it's the difference between a crust that sticks and one that falls off in the fryer.
  • Overcrowding the pot drops the oil temperature fast, turning crispy wings into greasy ones.
  • If your wings aren't browning after 10 minutes, your oil is too cool, bump the heat and wait before adding the next batch.
03 -
  • Pat the wings dry before marinating if you have time, it helps the buttermilk cling better and the coating crisp up faster.
  • Reheat leftover wings in a hot oven at 200°C for 10 minutes instead of the microwave, they'll crisp back up like fresh.
  • If you're making a big batch, keep finished wings warm in a low oven while you fry the rest, just don't stack them or they'll steam and soften.
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